A Fresh Start
by gallifreyinsanitey
Summary: Basically Scorbus. Picks up where Cursed Child left off. Scorpius and Albus are madly in love but it takes them a while to realise. In the end there is slight hinting at Drarry.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Scorpius and Albus were sitting together on a couch in the Slytherin common room. Year five had started a few weeks ago and Rose and Scorpius had just broken up after dating for a few months. Rose and Scorpius had started talking a bit more during the second semester of year four and had eventually gone on a few dates. Scorpius had asked Rose to be his girlfriend in May and she had said yes. Scorpius shrugged: "I'm fine, really Albus. We didn't get along anyways...," he trailed off. Albus put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?" Albus said carefully. Scorpius shook his head. "It's fine, really! I guess I just put her on a pedestal. She is gorgeous and I don't know... I don't know really why I even thought that this could work out. I don't think she ever really liked me to begin with...," Scorpius trailed off again, shrugging. The truth was he wasn't surprised that she had broken up with him. It truly never really worked out with them. They fought a lot. He wasn't that upset about it, so he finally sighed, admitting to himself that he never really had strong feelings for her either. "You know what would make you feel better?" Albus said with a smile, taking his friend's hand and pulling him up to the dorm room that they were sharing with three other boys. Albus opened the first drawer of his small night stand and pulled out a package of Pepper Imp sweets, handing it to Scorpius with a wide smile, "Your favourite sweets!" Scorpius took the bag, plopping down on Albus' bed, putting two of the sweets in his mouth. Both boys laughed as smoke started coming out of Scorpius' ears. Albus sat down next to Scorpius, still laughing. "Thanks for always being there for me, Al!" They hugged. "Friends forever?" Scorpius asked. "Always!" Albus replied with a smile.

* * *

It was the middle of December and Hogwarts had been getting excited for this year's Yule ball for weeks. There was no Triwizard Tournament, obviously, since Hogwarts would no longer take part in such events, but McGonagall did like dancing and she did like they joy that the annual Yule ball brought to people. It wasn't as big of an event as it had been when it was part of the Triwizard tournament but it was still nice. The great hall became a dance floor with lovely wintery decorations and most students enjoyed the ball as a whole. Being in year five Albus and Scorpius would be allowed to go to the dance, yet they had no intentions of doing so. Even less now that Scorpius and Rose had broken up just a few weeks ago. They simply didn't care for dancing. Besides, who would they ask out anyways? But they didn't mind. Quite on the contrary they were quite looking forward to having the entire dorm room, if not even the entire common room to themselves.

They were planning on enjoying the silence and maybe playing some chess with some butterbeers that they had snuck into Hogwarts from their last visit to Hogsmeade. Scorpius and Albus still were quite the misfits and didn't really have any friends besides each other so they didn't mind being alone and not being called names for once. Albus and Scorpius were sitting on Scorpius' bed, quietly playing a game of cards while the three boys they shared their dorm room with were getting ready for the ball. From time to time one of the two friends looked up to roll their eyes at the other when they overheard part of the other people's conversation. They had gotten extremely good at communicating quietly and pretending that they didn't exist. They opened their first bottles of butterbeer and toasted one another, the bottles making a silent *cling* noise.

They were at their 8th round of their card game when the others finally left and closed the door. A calming silence washed over them. "Finally I don't have to listen to Thomas talking about how many girls had asked him to the ball anymore. Ugh, I was close to throwing up!" Albus exclaimed. Scorpius giggled, opening their second bottle. "This one is to you thankfully not being an annoying prick like everyone else in this dorm room," Albus said as he raised his bottle in Scorpius' direction and then proceeded to take a gulp of butterbeer. "Thanks, I guess!" Scorpius chuckled, taking a huge sip himself. They played cards for a bit more and then a round of Wizard's Chess and as ten o'clock rolled around they were just lying next to one another in Scorpius' bed, butterbeer bottles in hand, both a bit tipsy, staring at the roof of the bed that Scorpius had enchanted to look like the universe. Albus was staring at the stars and the vast majority of space as he whispered, "I'm so glad that you're my friend, do you know that? I have no idea what I would do without you..." Scorpius smiled turning to face Albus. "I'm really glad, too".

Eleven o'clock and another two bottles of butterbeer later and Scorpius' brain felt nice and fuzzy, his body warm. He was sitting next to Albus, still in bed, their backs against the bedroom wall. He took his and Albus' empty bottle and put them to the side. "Enough butterbeer for tonight I think!" "Agreed!" Albus giggled. They were not quite drunk yet, but on the edge of it. They were very tips. Albus smiled, his head feeling dizzy but not in an uncomfortable sort of way. "What a nice thing, getting drunk for the first time, with your best friend right next to you!" Scorpius smiled, turning to his friend, "Yeah!" Albus looked into Scorpius' piercing blue eyes. His mind was swimming away, his body felt like it was floating in space. It felt nice to not worry. It felt nice to just be. Formless. Careless. Albus bit his bottom lip, his brain trying to process if he was actually about to do this, if he actually _should_ do this. But he couldn't really think. All he knew was that they were alone. All he knew was that Scorpius looked damn right gorgeous. All he knew was that suddenly his friend's face was very close and that at some point he just pressed his lips to Scorpius', both of their eyes flying shut. Time kind of stopped. Soft lips, fingers tangled in hair, the distant taste of butterbeer. It all felt fuzzy. It all felt so good. They broke apart and stared at each other as the information slowly sunk in. Oh damn. "Okay... Hello. Um. Have we kissed before? Do we kiss?" Scorpius mumbled confused, unsure if this was reality or a dream. Albus shrugged, biting his lips sheepishly. Scorpius blushed. So did Albus. "My father definitely won't hear about this," Scorpius mumbled quietly, his head spinning, his lips burning, his heart fluttering in his chest. Albus just sat there quietly, then, even more quietly, he stood up and went over to his bed and laid down whispering "sorry", before he closed the curtains.

* * *

Morning hit hard for Scorpius. His head felt too heavy for his body and he was feeling a bit sick to his stomach. He rubbed his eyes and looked around his bed when he saw the empty beer bottles and the memories of last night slowly started to come back. Oh shit. They had kissed, right? They did? It wasn't a desperate dream this time? No, Scorpius could definitely remember Albus face pressed against his. Suddenly it hit him hard. All this time that he spent thinking that they were only best friends... What if he felt more for Albus? What if this was not how friendship felt to other people. How would he know, he never had a friend before Al. Somehow he had never even considered that he might like the other boy more than the standard acceptable level of friendship –'like'. But then they kissed and his world came tumbling down and _how_ had he not realised before just how much the boy meant to him. He blushed. He was glad that the curtains of his bed were still closed so nobody could see. Scorpius sighed, smiling for a brief moment, when suddenly more worries washed over him. What if only he had felt it? Yes, it was Albus who had initiated the kiss, but he had just gone back to his bed right after without any explanation or anything. What if he didn't like him that way? What if it was just because they were drunk? Scorpius sighed, deciding that he would not ruin their friendship and lay low with his feelings, waiting for how Albus would react first. He opened his curtains and to his surprise Albus wasn't in his bed anymore. They usually woke one another up so they could go and eat breakfast together.

Scorpius put on his uniform and went down stairs, finding Albus in the Great Hall, sitting on his own. He hesitated a bit but finally sat down next to his friend, who was leaning over a cup of coffee. Albus startled a bit when someone sat down next to him, but his mouth instantly curved into a smile when he saw Scorpius. "Good morning!" he smiled, pouring a cup of coffee for the boy as well. "Sorry I didn't wake you! I thought maybe you would like to sleep a bit longer to well, cure your hangover a bit!" Scorpius smiled relieved as he realised that his friend wasn't mad or anything. "Does your head also feel so heavy?" Albus nodded. They kind of sat in silence during the rest of breakfast, neither of them being sure whether they should address the previous night or not.

* * *

They next few days they spoke a bit less than usual. They weren't as carefree and there was a bit of a weird tension between them. It would have probably been best to spend a few days apart, to sort out their thoughts, but neither of them had any other friends still and they would have been extremely lonely without one another. Finally, what seemed like an eternity after their kiss, though in reality it had probably been a few days only, Albus decided to sit down next to Scorpius as he was reading on his bed. A burning heat rushed over the boy as he realised that this was the spot that they had kissed. He coughed awkwardly. "Scorpius? Can we talk for a moment?" Scorpius finished reading the last paragraph of the page and then put the book to the side, looking at his friend. "Sure, what's up?" A smile. Albus was fumbling with the hem of this shirt. "Listen about the other day... I'm sorry." Scorpius looked at his friend, trying to read him. "There is nothing to be sorry about!" His heart beat faster. Should he tell Albus how he really felt about it? Should he ask him if he had felt the same? Should he - "Oh thank Dumbledore, I'm so glad you're not mad! It was stupid okay, I should have never done that! I'm really sorry!" A moment of silence. Scorpius stopped breathing for a second, contemplating, trying to place the information, trying to read what the other boy was saying, when: "Friends?" Scorpius smiled. "Always." They hugged. They smiled. Scorpius' heart was slightly breaking.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

It has been a few months since Scorpius and Albus had kissed and their friendship had returned to normal. Or at least that's what it looked like. On the inside Scorpius was falling deeper and deeper in love with his friend. It was like all this time he had been completely blind to just exactly how much Albus meant to him and now that the blinds had been opened all he could see was how damn funny and gorgeous and nice Albus was and just how much he cared about him. It hurt but it was okay. They were still friends. Best friends. That's what was important. No point in ruining a friendship with deeper feelings. What mattered was that they were together. Even if it wasn't exactly on the level that Scorpius secretly wished it was.

It was the only beginning of spring, yet it was already nice and warm outside. Scorpius didn't feel so well lately. He missed his mother and his dad couldn't hide the fact that he did too. Christmas had been very lonely at home. Draco tried his best to be a good father, and he was. But the loss of his wife ate at him and sometimes Scorpius felt like he had to be strong for the both of them. He had to be there for his dad. His dad needed him more than he needed his dad. But then back at school it all kind of hit him again. He spent some quiet time hiding away on roof tops, thinking about his mom, crying. He even hid from Albus and smiled and said that he was fine. He didn't know why he lied. He just didn't want to talk about it sometimes. Sometimes it was difficult to talk to Albus. The dark-haired boy tried to help his friend as best as he could but in the end all conversations cantered back around Al's problems and sometimes that could be a bit- exhausting. But one night in particular, Scorpius was quietly sobbing in his bed as the thought of his mom crossed his mind. It was February, which meant her birthday was only a few days away now. He missed her. Oh damn he missed her so much.

Suddenly one curtain slid open a bit and Albus' quietly whispered into the darkness, "Scorpius, is everything okay?" The boy shook his head, realising that the other couldn't see him. When there wasn't any audible response Albus carefully slid into bed next to his friend, pulling him into his arms. Scorpius quietly sobbed into his friend's chest and they soon fell asleep wrapped into one another's arms.

* * *

February the 9th rolled around in the blink of an eye. Scorpius had been missing from three classes already this day. Even during his favourite subject, the History of Magic, the boy was missing. Albus worried a lot about his friend, but he knew what day it was. He knew that it was Astoria Malfoy's birthday. He knew that his friend needed some time alone to process, to mourn. But by the fourth period Albus couldn't stand it anymore so he went to their dorm room, finding Scorpius in his bed, reading. He sat down next to the boy, who didn't even look up. "She used to read to me, you know" Scorpius said quietly, still not looking up, "My mom. When I was a child. I still remember her reading to me every night. That's probably what started my interest in books. And then when she got more and more sick I started reading to her. Every night." He paused. A few hot tears were quietly streaming down his face. Albus took the book from his friend's hand, looking at the old cover of 'the tales of Beedle the Bard'. He opened the book and on the first page there were a few hand-written lines. Clean and small.

"To you, Scorpius, my loving son. So you may remember me through the stories we read together. I love you, your mother"

Albus bit his lip. "What's your favourite one?" he asked quietly. Scorpius shrugged, wiping the tears off his cheek. "Maybe 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot'." Albus turned the pages and then softly he started reading to his friend.  
"There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbours. Rather than reveal the true source of his power, he pretended that his potions, charms and antidotes sprang ready-made from the little cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot. From miles around people came to him with their troubles, and the wizard was pleased to give his pot a stir and put things right..."

It was nice. Scorpius closed his eyes. He felt Albus sitting next to him. He felt the warmth that the boy's body was radiating. He was drowning in the sound of the dark-haired boy's voice. So smooth and nice. So familiar. So calming.  
"... But from that day forward, the wizard helped the villagers like his father before him, lest the pot cast off its slipper, and begins to hop once more." Albus closed the book and put it on the bed side table. He motioned for Scorpius to slide over a bit and so the boy did. When there was enough space Albus laid down next to his friend. The just lied there in silence. "I'm so sorry for what happened to your mom. It's not fair." Scorpius shrugged. "I miss her a lot!" he finally admitted quietly. "I would have liked to meet her someday," Albus added after a moment. Scorpius smiled. "She would have liked you a lot! Sometimes you remind me a bit of her!" He chuckled. Albus smiled. Their hands accidentally brushed against one another. They both didn't breathe for a moment. Then, finally, Albus reached out and took Scorpius' hand in his. "I'm sure I would have liked her too. If she's even half as wonderful as you are I'm sure that we would have gotten along very well." Albus blushed and Scorpius smiled. They both just lied there, staring at the ceiling of the bed, in silence, holding hands. Finally Scorpius sighed, turning to face Albus. "Listen, I know we already talked about this, but about the kiss-" Albus shook his head, interrupting Scorpius, "I'm sorry about that really! It wasn't okay for me to just kiss you like that! I'm really sorry! I'm also really sorry that I just got up and left, I know that was even more stupid. I was afraid that I had just ruined our friendship and I- I... I don't know. I guess I was just scared that I would lose you." Now Scorpius shook his head softly. "You're my best friend. I care about you so much. I promise you that you will never lose me!" They both smiled, looking at one another. "Promise?" Albus breathed. "Promise!" Scorpius whispered back.

* * *

They spent the next few weeks focusing on school. They had some exams coming up and Scorpius helped Albus with studying. They still sat next to one another in every class, they still spent every single waking second with one another. They still were best friends and maybe even a little more. They didn't really talk about what exactly they were. They were just themselves. Sometimes they would hold hands under the table in potions class. Sometimes Albus would sit down next to Scorpius on their favourite bench outside on the grounds of Hogwarts, putting an arm about the other boy. Sometimes they would stay up late and talk, like they used to do before, but at some point Albus didn't get up anymore to go to his own bed. At some point they slept in each other's arms almost every single night. Who cares what they were. They were best friends and maybe even a little more. But most importantly they were happy.

Scorpius liked waking up next to his friend. Sometimes he had nightmares about the other world where Voldemort had won. Sometimes he would wake up panting and sweating and Albus would comfort him.  
One night in April they were lying next to one another again. Albus was mindlessly running his fingers through Scorpius' hair. They both liked doing that; just enjoying the silence and the presence of one another before they would eventually fall asleep. It was quiet in their dorm room. The other boys were already asleep. Scorpius focused on Albus breathing. On the touch of the other boy's hand on his head. Silence. "Sometimes I'm still afraid that I will wake up without you again-" Scorpius whispered into the darkness. Albus said nothing for a while, letting the graveness of his friend's words sink in. "You will never have to be without me again, Scorpius." Scorpius smiled, pulling Albus into a tight hug. They didn't speak for a while. They didn't have to. They both knew that their biggest fear was losing the other. They both knew exactly how much they meant to one another. Scorpius was almost asleep, his thoughts far away, his mind felt like it was starting to float away from his body, when- "Can I kiss you?" Albus whisper cut through the silence, it grounded Scorpius back into reality. They could feel the heat of both of them blushing.

There were a few beats of nothingness as Scorpius tried desperately to figure out if he had actually heard right or if he had imagined it. Finally he nodded. Albus felt the motion against his chest. He took a deep breath and his heart jumped as he pulled the face of the other boy up towards his own. They could feel the other's breath on their face. There were only a few millimetres between their lips now. Scorpius' body was burning. After a few moments he just inched closer to Albus' face and finally their lips met in a beautiful and soft collision. They didn't realise how much they had needed this. They kissed once, twice. Another kiss and another. Scorpius felt like his chest was going to explode as he melted into his friend. The kisses were sweet and soft, but grew more desperate over time. "I need you," they said. "You mean so much to me," they said. Scorpius pulled Albus closer by his shirt, desperately wishing they could just melt into one. Closer, closer, it just wasn't close enough. After a while they stopped. Scorpius was on top of his friend, breathing heavily into his chest. Albus was running his hands through the blonde hair. They just lied there a bit, still overwhelmed with what had happened, still overwhelmed that both felt the same about the other. After a while Albus lifted up the other boy's chin with his finger. He could make out the other's blue eyes in the darkness. The blonde hair falling into his face. His lips curving into a smile. They kissed again. "So are we-?" Scorpius whispered, trailing off. Albus smiled. "We are whatever we want to be."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Exams, studying in the common room, holding hands under tables, desperate kisses behind drapes in deserted corridors. They knew that they had to lay low with their relationship. They didn't want to give other people even more reasons to pick on them. One day Albus came to Scorpius, who was sitting in the great hall, nose and reading glasses buried in the Daily Prophet. Albus sat down next to him and Scorpius started speaking without even looking up; he knew that nobody else would ever sit beside him. "Have you heard that a new broomstick model just came out? It is sweeping the nation!" Scorpius smiled a bit at his own lame joke and then proceeded, "Maybe we can convince our dads to buy us one! I know we don't really play Quidditch but it looks very cool and-" Scorpius looked up, staring at Albus' face who was smiling like an idiot. "What?" the blonde boy asked confused. Albus slid a piece of paper across the table. "It has some perks being Harry Potter's child after all!" Albus was still smiling stupidly. Scorpius lifted the piece of parchment paper, staring at it. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry Albus, but I think you have lost your last bit of rational sense now. What am I supposed to do with this blank piece of paper?" Albus kept smiling, enjoying having the upper hand over his friend and knowing something the other couldn't figure out for once. The dark-haired boy quickly looked around to make sure that nobody could hear them, then leaned over and whispered, "This is the Marauder's map!" Albus face lit up even more as Scorpius' eyes widened. "Oh my, I never thought I would ever hold something with so much history in my hands! - My nerd senses are a-tingling!" There was a pause when Scorpius examined the parchment closer. "Where did you get it?" Albus smiled and shrugged. "My dad sent it to me! I told him I was having a rough time with people picking on me and he sent me this so I could avoid them!" Scorpius nodded silently, still geeking out on the inside. Albus smile was curving from one ear to the other, "Do you have any idea what that means?" Scorpius looked up, thinking for a moment and then shaking his head softly. Albus took a deep breath to calm down his excitement. "This means that we can now use this for our advantage when we want to have a small make-out session during the day!" Scorpius flushed red and Albus laughed lightly.

He grabbed the blonde boy by his wrist and started pulling him out of the great hall, around the corner and up the stairs. "I never trusted these stairs, you know," Scorpius said, "They are always up to something." He giggled. Albus shook his head lightly, chuckling. Finally they pulled into a corridor on the third floor that was usually pretty empty. They knew because they had hidden behind the corners here, desperately needing touch, quite a few times before. Albus pulled Scorpius behind some heavy decorative drapes. He took out his wand but then looked at his blonde friend and smiled, "Do you want to do us the honour?" Scorpius started smiling from ear to ear, slightly bouncing up and down with excitement as he drew out his wand from his robe. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he stated, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!" He pointed the tip of his wand to the parchment paper. It took a moment before the parchment was flooded with ink and eventually they were looking at a map of Hogwarts and two pairs of feet bouncing next to one another with the labels 'Scorpius Malfoy' and 'Albus Potter'. They both smiled, amazed at this fantastic piece of magic. They sat down on the floor, behind the curtain, studying the map for a bit. They found Rose sitting with James in the Gryffindor common room. Lily was outside on the Quidditch field, probably practicing as always. "This is unbelievable!" Scorpius exclaimed, still excited. Albus chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm, pulling him in for a kiss.

* * *

The map did prove to be useful on days when it was rainy and most students didn't spend their time outside. Albus and Scorpius did use it from time to time to make sure nobody would walk in on them kissing, hands under uniform shirts, desperately touching whatever skin they could reach. It was frustrating to be hiding away all the time. They were so happy, they cared so much for one another, but yet they couldn't show it like the other Hogwarts couples could. It was frustrating, but it was fine. They were fine.

They had less and less time to spend kissing, hiding away, as the end of their fifth school year and therefore their O.W.L.s came closer and closer. Scorpius stayed up late, studying most of the time, since he was aiming for the best grades he could possibly get. Albus on the other hand should have stayed up late studying more to make sure he would pass all subjects. He wasn't a bad student, but he did have trouble in some subjects like Potions and Divination. Scorpius helped him study as much as possible, so instead of spending their time in empty classrooms or behind drapes in abandoned corridors, they spent most of their time in the library, sneaking a kiss when nobody was around.

Week one of the O.W.L.s had started as quickly as it was over and by the end of the second week they received their grades, both of them passing all subjects. Scorpius was a bit disappointed that he got three E's and not only O's, but Albus was happy with his grades. (He got four O's and the rest E's and A's). They were relieved that the exams were over and that they could spend the last two weeks of the school year together, relaxing. However, summer was coming up and they were worrying because they wouldn't be able to see each other as often anymore.

It was a warm June day when they were outside in the grass, far away from all the other students. Thankfully the Hogwarts grounds were huge and it was rather easy to find an isolated spot. Scorpius was laying down, his head on Albus' lap, the other boy's hands in his hair, running through it mindlessly. He closed his eyes because the sun was so bright. They enjoyed the silence and their time together. "What are we going to do over the summer?" Scorpius asked after a while, sadness in his voice. Albus shrugged. "I'll write you every week, okay?" the dark haired boy said. "Promise?" "Promise!" "Maybe I can convince my dad that you can stay over at our place for a bit!" Scorpius said slowly. Albus smiled, "Yes, that would be great!"

* * *

The end of the school year went by fast, so did their summer break. They wrote letters every week, as promised, and Scorpius came to visit the Potter house a few times. They found themselves back on platform 9 3/4 again quicker than expected. Albus quickly hugged his mom goodbye as he spotted his friend across the platform. "Bye mom, bye dad! I'll see you on Christmas!" he shouted as he was already running towards his friend. Scorpius barely had time to smile before the dark-haired boy wrapped his arms around him. They hugged tightly, for a long time. "I missed you!" Scorpius whispered. "I missed you too!" Albus whispered back. They broke apart and Albus cleared his throat awkwardly as he spotted Draco Malfoy pretending like he didn't see the two boys hugging so intensely. "Nice to see you, Mr. Malfoy!" Albus said quietly. "By dad!" Scorpius added, giving his father a quick hug before the two boys got on the train, sitting down in an empty compartment.

Albus reached across the chair, taking his friend's hand. "How was the rest of your summer?" he asked, squeezing the other's hand a bit tighter. "It was fine," Scorpius said, squeezing back. "A bit lonely without you!" Albus smiled sadly, quickly looking behind him before he pulled his friend closer by his face, their lips meeting again finally after about three weeks. Scorpius' eyes fluttered shut and his heart jumped a bit in his chest. How much he had missed this. The train jolted into motion and they jumped apart as their compartment door opened. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" The trolley witch stared at them intensely, probably rather because she was still annoyed that the two had managed to escape from the Hogwarts Express two years ago than because she had caught them kissing. Scorpius shook his head quickly, bright red. "Hm... Two Pumpkin Pastries please!" Albus said as he got up to pay for the pies. The compartment door slid closed again and Albus plopped down on the chair next to his friend, handing him a pastry. Scorpius took it, thanking his friend, still red in the face. "We have to be more careful!" he added finally, chewing on a piece of the cake. Albus just grinned, shrugging. "What if I don't want to hide anymore? So what if they see how much I'm into you. I don't care." He pulled his friend into another kiss. Scorpius kept his eyes closed as they broke apart, taking a deep breath before he spoke, "But I do. I'm sorry Albus, but I'd rather we'd still keep it a secret for now." The green-eyed boy looked a bit disappointed at first, but then smiled weakly. "Fine. Anything to make you happy!" Scorpius smiled back, "Thank you!" They kissed again quickly as the trees flashed by the train window.

* * *

School started slowly, not much happened and they didn't have to study for any exams yet. Their new Transfiguration teacher, Professor Hipworth, an elderly tall man with bright coloured glasses and purple robes, took his new job a bit too serious so they were drowning in homework. But other than that they enjoyed a lot of free time, which meant a lot of free time exploring parts of Hogwarts that the Marauder's Map showed to be empty, and a lot of kissing and holding hands in said places.

Albus was getting more and more frustrated with having to hide his feelings away and it became more and more difficult to keep their relationship a secret. People were getting suspicious. One of the boys they shared their dorm room with, a skinny boy with caramel skin, whose legs seemed a bit too long for his body, could have sworn he saw them kissing when he entered the otherwise empty Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom after he had forgotten his book there. And one time Professor McGonagall had walked in on them making out in a small corridor that nobody usually visited, when she was on her way to talk to Professor Longbottom. They had startled apart as they heard their names being screamed, "POTTER! MALFOY!" They looked guilty as McGonagall gave them detention for "skipping divination class to make out in the corridor". But Albus could have sworn he saw a small smile on her face as she walked on.  
They were getting more reckless with where they would kiss, their desperation growing, especially on Albus' side. They were learning how to conjure a patronus when Albus finally managed it and a huge Scorpion emerged from the tip of his wand. Both Albus and Scorpius flushed red and a few of their class members giggled. Rose sat in a corner, rolling her eyes.

There was another embarrassing moment a few weeks later, in Potions glass, when they learned about Amortentia. Scorpius being the huge nerd he was, immediately raised his hand as the professor asked them who could identify the pearly-shimmering potion. He stuttered as he was asked what it smelled like to him, settling on "old books and violets (the favourite flower of his mom; they had a huge planter full of them at home)", leaving out that one of the strongest smells was the smell of Albus' hair.

Autumn passed quickly and winter was approaching. While most Hogwarts students spend time in the "Three Broomsticks" during their visits to Hogsmeade, Scorpius and Albus were sitting in a dark corner in the "Hog's Head", sharing one Slytherin scarf, sipping out of their dusty butterbeer bottles. After all those years the "Hog's Head" still hadn't gotten fancier, and it was a bit of a surprise to them that it still existed, but they valued the privacy the dusty pub gave them. "So... I was thinking- maybe this year we could celebrate Christmas together?" Albus thought out loud. Scorpius started smiling, nodding his head in excitement, "That would be great! Maybe we could send owls to our parents when we get back to the castle! I would really love that!" Albus grinned, glad that his idea was so well received and pulled the other boy into a happy kiss. Their lips touched and time stopped for a moment. Kissing the boy he cared so deeply about still felt so extraordinarily great to Scorpius, he still hadn't gotten used to it.

They lazily finished their bottles of butterbeer before returning to Hogwarts, putting their plans into motion as they wrote Albus' parents first, since they would probably spend Christmas there, rather than at Malfoy Manor, borrowing Lily's owl the same afternoon.  
A few days later Albus sat down next to Scorpius, grinning, a letter in his hand. "Mom said it would be nice if you and your dad would join us for Christmas!" he exclaimed excitedly. Scorpius returned the smile; "That's amazing! I'll make sure to write my dad at once!"

* * *

The end of December was approaching and with it that year's Yule ball and the anniversary of their kiss. Albus had contemplated asking Scorpius if they should go to the ball together, but then decided not even to ask since it was Scorpius wish to keep their relationship private.

A few days before the Yule Ball Scorpius tied a scarf over his friend's eyes, leading him through the school. They went up a couple of stairs and around a few corners. "Scorpius, where are we going?" "You'll see," the blonde boy smiled. Finally they stopped on the seventh floor, in the corridor to the left. "Wait for a moment!" Scorpius said quietly, letting go of his friend's arm. Albus heard Scorpius walking around and a few moments later there was a rather loud rumbling noise. Then Albus was being pulled further by his friend, but they stopped again after taking only a few steps. There was another rumbling sound and Scorpius took a deep breath, informing, "You can take off your blindfold now!" Albus had no idea where they were. He slowly pulled off the scarf, gasping as he saw his surroundings. It looked like they were in a small hall with a stone floor but in the middle there was a patch of grass, surrounded by trees. It looked like a small forest inside a room. There were a few candles placed throughout the room and it seemed like Scorpius had enchanted the ceiling to look like the universe again because the reflections of stars and planets were dancing in Albus' green eyes. "What- what is this? Where are we?" Albus said a bit shocked. "Room of Requirement!" Scorpius smirked. Albus eyes widened. "I thought it would have burned down when, you know, my dad and your dad last were in here...," Albus trailed off. Scorpius took his friend's hand, pulling him to sit down in the grass. He nodded. "It was pretty destroyed. The walls were black and burned. But I figured out that you could still use it, as long as you only wished for a small room." He shrugged. Albus smiled. "You did this for me?" Scorpius nodded. "It wouldn't exactly have been a good idea to bring you to the Forbidden Forest so I figured, why not bring a forest to us!" He hesitated a bit, then continued, "I wanted to have a proper date with you. Something that didn't feel as much as hiding away, something where we wouldn't have to worry about people finding us-," he trailed off, adding quietly while blushing, "I hope it's not too cheesy, with the candles and all..." Albus pulled the other boy close, smiling into their kiss, breathing against the blonde's skin as they broke apart, "No, it's perfect!"

They spent a few hours in the room, just enjoying that they didn't have to worry and that they could kiss however much they would like.  
"You mean so much to me," Scorpius breathed against Albus' skin as he kissed his naked stomach. "I just want you to be happy!" Albus smiled, pulling the other boy up, closer to his face again. "I am happy. Incredibly happy. _You_ make me so happy." They kissed, softly. They kissed, passionately. Tongues touching, skin burning, hands caught in hair and shirts. After a while they broke apart, faces still close, bodies still tangled together. The silence was only interrupted by their breath and their hearts beating. Scorpius smiled, drowning in Albus' green eyes. "I know it's stupid, but - would you like to go to the Yule Ball? With me? Like together- _together_ -gether?" Albus forgot to breathe for a moment as his heart jumped. "Yes," he smiled excitedly. "Absolutely damn yes."

* * *

For the first time they put on their festive gowns, hearts beating nervously. Albus would lie if he said that he wasn't a bit worried about what people would say once they saw them dancing together. What James would say, and Lily, and Rose. But then again, he didn't really care. He was happy with Scorpius and he didn't care what other people thought about it. He wanted to show off how happy they were. The only thing that worried him was that Scorpius might not be able to spend Christmas with them once their parents found out. He brushed away the negative thoughts, focusing on tying his bow tie. Scorpius was sitting on his bed, trying to fix his hair as Roche, the boy who had almost caught them kissing before, walked past, giggling making a mean comment under his breath about how "cute it was that the two looser were going to the ball together", probably unaware that the two of them were _actually_ really going to the ball together. As a couple. Scorpius shrugged, ignoring the comment. He got off his bed, walking over to Albus. "Ready?" he asked with a smile. "Ready!" the other agreed. They both took a deep breath and then Scorpius took Albus hand, leading him to the Great Hall, leaving the other Slytherin people in the common room partly speechless, partly snickering. They didn't care.

Scorpius couldn't help but gasp when he saw the Great Hall. It was snowing from the ceiling and the huge Christmas trees were beautifully decorated. It was simply stunning. They could tell how much work Minerva McGonagall had put into the ball. Albus and Scorpius stood awkwardly on the side for a bit as more and more students started to stream into the hall. Finally the orchestra began to play and people started dancing. It was tradition to start out with more classical dancing before the music switched to something more recent and popular. Albus and Scorpius hesitated. Once they would do this there would be no turning back. There were only a few couples dancing to the slow music, including James and the girl he had started dating a few weeks ago, Amber, another Gryffindor senior. Finally Scorpius got up, taking a deep breath, extending his arm. "Let's do this!" Albus smiled up at the boy, reaching out to lace their fingers together, walking to the dance floor. They embraced one another. Albus rested his head on the taller boy's shoulder. He bit his lip as they slowly swayed from side to side. It didn't matter who stared, who giggled. Nothing mattered. They could finally be themselves, no matter who saw. Albus caught a glimpse of James' face as he danced by them. He looked a bit shocked, but then his face eased back to a normal expression and he shrugged. Scorpius was smiling widely, so happy to finally openly hold his friend in his arms. The slow music stopped. Scorpius reached down to kiss Albus. It was soft and warm as always. Scorpius' head started spinning and he realized how stupidly in love he was with the dark-haired boy. Suddenly the music changed to something faster and more people started streaming on the dance floor. Scorpius and Albus had a fantastic night, just dancing, drinking some punch, taking some breaks on the side of the dance floor to kiss. Damn did it feel good to not have to hide.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

A week later Christmas holidays started. Albus and Scorpius had packed their bags quickly, excitedly talking about how wonderful their Christmas would be as they stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Their families picked them up at the train station. Scorpius and Albus hugged quickly before letting go. No kiss. They wouldn't risk their families keeping them from celebrating Christmas together. "I'll see you in two days!" Albus smiled. "I can't wait!" Scorpius replied happily.

Albus was secretly hoping his siblings wouldn't say anything about the Yule Ball on the way home. They didn't.  
Once they were home Albus rushed up to his bedroom, unpacking his bag. Once he was done he sat down by his desk, starting to write Christmas cards. At some point there was a knock at his door and Ginny entered. "Hey mum!" Albus mumbled. Ginny sat down on the bed. "Lily just told me about the Yule Ball." Albus' heart dropped. He turned around slowly, biting his lip. "And?" he asked carefully. Ginny smiled and shrugged; "Don't look so worried! It's fine!" Albus sighed in relieve. There was a moment of silence. "Do you think I should tell Dad?" Albus asked finally. Ginny shrugged again, explaining, "That's what I wanted to ask you! I won't say anything if you don't want me to, however I can't guarantee the others will keep their mouth shut!" Albus nodded slowly, thinking. Finally, after a while he opened his mouth, "I don't think I'm ready to tell Dad yet... I know he doesn't particularly like Scorpius and I don't know... I'm scared that he'll forbid me to see him again and that the Malfoys won't be able to spend Christmas here!" Ginny nodded understanding. "I won't say anything!" She got up, walking away. As she was already halfway out the door, Albus shouted after her, "Mum?" Ginny turned around. "Do you still love me?" He blushed as he asked quietly. It was a stupid question but he needed to know. His mother smiled. "Of course I do Al! I will always love you! You are my son!" She hesitated. "Besides I was suspecting anyways!" She chuckled and Albus' eyes widened. "You were?" She nodded. Albus got up and walked over to his mum, hugging her tightly. "I care so much about him, he makes me so happy!" he admitted quietly into the hug. Ginny kissed the top of her son's head, smiling, "I am glad that you found someone who makes you happy!" They hugged even tighter for a moment before Ginny left the room and Albus resumed writing Christmas cards.

* * *

Draco Malfoy and his son were walking through the snow, up the small path to the Potter house. Scorpius was biting his lip the entire way, torn between excitement and slight worry. The father-son duo had almost reached the front door when the younger finally took a deep breath and spoke, "Dad, I have to tell you something..." Draco looked down to his son, expectantly, his eyebrows slightly raised as to say "Go on". Scorpius clenched his fists, unsure of how to phrase it. "So..." he started, biting the inside of his cheek, "Albus and me- we are sort of- kind of-," he trailed off unsure. "Dating?" Draco offered his son whose eyes widened in surprise. Scorpius nodded slowly, not saying anything. Draco shrugged, small lips curved into the tiniest smile. "You two aren't exactly subtle." Scorpius' face flushed red with embarrassment but simultaneously he could physically feel a weight being lifted off his heart. The two finally reached the door. Draco carefully knocked. A few moments later Ginny opened and the loud sound of excited voices and slow Christmas music made its way out the door. "Hello Draco! Scorpius! Come in!" She stepped out of the way with a friendly smile.

Draco didn't exactly know what he had expected, but certainly not this. The entire living room was flooded with people, presents and different homemade pies, pastries and cookies.  
Christmas was a huge spectacle at the Potter household. Traditionally the entire Granger-Weasley family joined the celebrations, including Molly and Arthur, Bill and Fleur with their three children, Charlie, George and Angelina with their two kids, Percy with his wife Audrey and their two daughters and of course Teddy Lupin with his grandma Andromeda Tonks. Christmas was a huge celebration for their families and Albus was beyond excited that he could spend this day with the person he cared about the most.

"Scorpius!" he exclaimed as he saw his friend, running over to hug him tightly, lifting the taller boy slightly off his toes. There was a moment when they contemplated kissing, but they resisted. "Hello Mister Malfoy! I am so glad the two of you could make it!" Albus sang excitedly.  
Harry stepped out of the kitchen, greeting Draco and Scorpius with a tight smile. The moment Scorpius stepped into the living room Molly Weasley had already pulled the boy to the side, pushing a plate with no less than fourteen different pastries that she had baked in his hands. "Here my dear, have some pastries! You look so skinny!" she babbled quickly before rushing away to tell Percy that it's Christmas and that he should stop looking so grumpy. Scorpius sat down on the couch, the plate in his hand, looking out for Albus.

A tall man with half ginger, half grey hair plopped onto the couch next to him. "Mind if I sit down?" Scorpius shook his head with a smile. "I see Molly got to you?" the man asked with a chuckle. Scorpius nodded, smiling, as he put the plate on the table in front of him, taking a particularly delicious looking pumpkin pastry in his hand and taking a bite. "I'm Arthur Weasley by the way!" the older man exclaimed, stretching out his hand, "and you must be Scorpius?" Scorpius swallowed, taking Mr. Weasley's hand with his free one. "Yes I am! I heard a lot of great things about you!" the blonde boy announced with a bright smile. Scorpius and Arthur Weasley sat on the couch together chatting a bit about how Molly had insisted on baking so many pastries because the entire family would be together, about Mr Weasley's old work in the Ministry of Magic and about Scorpius' interests and favourite subjects at school. After a while Albus joined them, sighing as he sat down. "Sorry, mum needed me to help her in the kitchen a bit," he explained. He looked at Scorpius. His smile widened. His hand itched to reach out and grab his friend's but he resisted. Arthur Weasley coughed and got up, saying, "Excuse me, I think Molly just called me! It was nice talking to you Scorpius! Maybe we'll chat a bit more later!" Scorpius nodded and Arthur walked away. "I like your grand-dad. And your grand-mum. They are so nice! My family is nothing like yours!" Scorpius sounded a bit sad as he spoke. Albus reached out and grabbed the other boy's hand, quickly pressing a kiss to his wrist. "I'm glad you're here!" Scorpius smiled. "I'm glad too!"

* * *

Their Christmas day was nice. It was filled with laughter and fun games, good food and pumpkin juice. Scorpius had grown on everybody, since he was such a nice and down-to-earth boy. Draco Malfoy had felt awkward at first, but now he was enjoying the familial atmosphere he had never experienced like this before. They all exchanged presents and Christmas cards. Scorpius' cards earned a laugh each time, with classic cards such as a pepper shaker, a salt shaker and glass of oregano exclaiming "season greetings". Molly had knitted a sweater with a matching pair of socks for every single person present, including Draco and his son. Draco gave her a polite smile and a "thank you" but secretly inside he was tearing up.

The day was going extremely well until it was Rose's turn to give everyone her presents. When it came to giving Albus his present she couldn't help but make the sarcastic comment, "And for our _beautiful_ couple-" She handed Albus and Scorpius a box, but before they could even open it awkward silence filled the room. But then Harry broke it a few moments later, "What?" Nobody answered. Rose turned around, a smug smile carved on her face, "Hasn't Albus told you about how _maaaadly_ in love he is with his friend? They even went to the Yule Ball together!" Albus and Scorpius just sat there, their eyes wide, neither of them speaking or moving. "ROSE!" Hermione shouted, anger clearly in her voice. Harry looked at Albus, questioning look on his face. Albus swallowed hard, biting his lip, not saying anything. That was answer enough for Harry. His brows furled and his hands clenched into fists. Ginny, who was sitting next to Harry, put a hand on her husband's thigh. "Harry-," she trailed off as the man looked at her. "You knew?" he asked. Ginny nodded slowly, slightly ashamed. Harry removed her hand from his thigh and stood up, anger in his voice.

"Albus, go to your room! Scorpius, I'm sorry but you have to go!" Albus didn't move. Neither did Scorpius. Or anyone else. "NOW!" Harry emphasised. "Harry, calm down!" Hermione stated carefully but Harry didn't listen. He just kept staring at his son. "Albus Severus, I'm not going to repeat myself!" There was another moment of silence and then finally Albus got up, tears in his eyes, angrily storming off and up the stairs to his room. Scorpius just sat there awkwardly looking to the floor. "Harry, please, it's Christmas!" Ginny pleaded, but her husband shook her off. Harry didn't want to listen to anybody. But then finally, breaking the awkward silence as Harry stared at Scorpius and Draco, Ron cleared his throat, walking between Harry and the blonde boy. "Harry, you are being ridiculous. The boy is staying!" Ron said carefully, but firmly. Harry looked at his friend in disbelief. " _Fine_!" he finally said feeling betrayed, storming off to the kitchen.

The living room went quiet and nobody quite knew what to say, when suddenly George started laughing. "Blimey, the two of you sure as hell know how to make a great impression!" Scorpius flushed red but joined the light laughter that freed them from the heavy silence. Everybody started talking again and Molly assured the Malfoys, "Don't you worry, you're not going anywhere! You're family now!" Scorpius smiled thankfully, Draco's heart stopped for a moment, then he too smiled. Ron went over to Scorpius, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I'll talk to him! He'll get around eventually, he's just being - well he's just being Harry Potter, the drama queen." Draco scoffed out an agreeing laugh. Scorpius was so thankful for all their support and that they didn't want him to leave too. He silently got up and walked in the direction of the stairs, up to Albus' bedroom.

He was about to knock when he heard someone crying in the room next door. He hesitated but then looked around there corner. Ginny Weasley was sitting on a double bed, silently crying into her hands. Scorpius carefully knocked on the open door. "Um, Mrs. Potter? Is everything okay?" Ginny turned around, a smile spreading acros her face. She wiped her eyes. "Yes. Thank you. I'm sorry for what my husband said. Nobody else thinks that. Everybody here likes you. And your father for that matter. Please stay as long as you wish!" Scorpius smiled, thanking her, his voice quiet. "Sometimes I just wish Harry wouldn't be so- so stubborn." She wiped the last tear away and got up from the bed, walking over to Scorpius, placing a hand on his back. "I'm glad that Albus has found someone as nice as you!" And with that she went back down stairs.

Scorpius took a moment before he knocked on Albus' door and finally entered. Albus was lying on his bed. Sobbing. Scorpius closed the door and carefully sat down next to his friend. "Albus?" he asked slowly, placing a hand on the other's back. "He just had to ruin it all, didn't he?" Albus shouted angrily into his pillow, his words being interrupted by sobs. Scorpius sighed. "It's fine, it will be fine!" He slowly started moving his hand up and down, comforting his friend. "And even if your dad doesn't come around," he continued, "which he will, but just in case: I'm sure you can spend however much time you like at my place!" Albus looked up slowly, tears still in his eyes. "Your dad would be okay with it?" he asked shyly. Scorpius nodded with a smile. Blue eyes stared into green ones and then their lips collided. "I don't care what my dad says, I love you, Scorpius." Albus' heart stopped a little as he realised what he just said. Scorpius smiled softly, pressing their lips together again. "I love you too, Albus." They smiled. It felt good to say it finally. To finally put what they felt into words. To finally say aloud what they both had been thinking, yet what had been unspoken for such a long time. Scorpius pulled his friend into his arms. They sat on the bed for a while, in silence. Wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

In the meanwhile downstairs Ron had managed to calm Harry down a bit. "Don't be a bloody idiot, Harry!" Ron had said eventually and left the kitchen again. Finally Harry had given up his quarrels and was just sitting on a chair, alone, his hands resting on the kitchen table. Outside the celebrations were continuing just as jolly as before. Harry could hear the happy voices. George was laughing. Arthur was asking Molly to dance. The three smallest children were playing hide and seek.

Suddenly the kitchen door opened. Harry looked up and saw the pale man with the light blonde ponytail. He sighed a bit. Draco carefully pulled out a chair opposite of Harry and sat down, opening two bottles of butterbeer, sliding one across the table. Harry took one gratefully and took a long sip.  
Draco was staring at the table, laughing lightly after a bit. Their eyes met. "So our sons, huh? Who would have guessed?" the blonde man said and took a sip from his bottle. After a moment Harry shook his head, chuckling as well. "I know..." he said silently, taking a sip as well. There was silence, then Draco spoke again, "Listen, I know Albus means a lot to Scorpius and he is my son so I want him to be happy and-" Harry lifted his hand interrupting. "It's fine, Draco. I'm sorry about how I reacted. It wasn't fair. I think I was just upset about him keeping it a secret and then when I figured out that Ginny knew I just- snapped." Harry sighed, taking another gulp. Draco hesitated to say something, but then eventually opened his mouth, "It's none of my business but maybe Albus didn't say anything because he thought you would react exactly the way you ended up reacting?" Harry looked at Draco. He didn't reply. The two of them finished their bottles in silence, listening only to the cheerful sound of voices from the living room. Percy was loudly singing Christmas songs now. "I never had this, you know?" Draco said quietly. Harry looked at the man; "What?" - "A family," Draco admitted. There was another silence then Harry got up and grabbed a wine bottle out of a cupboard and two glasses. He placed them on the table and poured each of them a glass. They toasted. "Well, you do now," Harry said after a while. Draco smiled.

"I think it's great, you know... Our sons- They have a chance that we never got," the blonde man trailed off. "They have a real shot at being friends," he added. Harry looked at the man. Grey eyes stared into green ones. "Or in their case something more!" They both chuckled.  
Outside, in the living room, the music grew louder and people had apparently started to dance. Upstairs Albus was buried in Scorpius' chest, their fingers intertwined, their lips meeting occasionally.  
Draco smiled. For the first time in what seemed like forever he felt happy. Like he belonged somewhere.  
Harry held up his glass, in the direction of Draco. "To a fresh start?" he asked. "To a fresh start!" Draco agreed. Their glasses made a small *clink* sound as they met.

All was well.


End file.
